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Relevant course objectives:
- Have a conceptual understanding of: Erikson, Piaget, Kohlberg, and Vygotsky.
- Understand the impact of teaching to the whole child.
- Understand the outcome of neurodevelopmental profiling with brain-based research.
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THEORIES ON HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Click here to watch a 7 minute video that overviews development.
Social-Emotional Development
Erik Erikson believed that people move through similar stages when developing their pyschosocial identities. His theory, known as the 8 Stages of Man, addresses the “conflicts” we go through throughout life and explains how the ability to resolve these “conflicts” shapes our personalities.
Click on here for further explanation of Erikson’s Stages of Identity Formation.
Abraham Maslow proposed a model that outlines a hierarchy of human needs. Put simply, he proposes that physiological needs must be met in order for higher needs (social, self-actualization) to be met. As you view the video, consider how this theory applies to learning environments.
Click here to watch a video on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Cognitive Development and Language Development
Jean Piaget, a Swiss epistemologist known for his explanation of learning as a developmental cognitive process. He believed that students were active creators of knowledge verses passive recipients. Piaget connected language development to levels of cognition by explaining that as children move through different stages (sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational and formal operational), language changes as well.
Click here to learn more about Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
Lev Vygotsky expanded Piaget’s theory on cognitive and language development by proposing that learning occurs in a cultural context and is enhanced by social interaction. Another significant contribution of Vygotsky’s is the notion of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which suggests that students learn best just beyond their existing level of knowledge. The assistance of a “more knowledgeable other” serves as a bridge between what the student can do independently and what he or she can do with the assistance of another person.
Click here to watch a 10 minute video regarding a socio-cultural perspective on cognitive and language development.
Noam Chomsky, an American linguist and cognitive theorist, proposed that children are born with innate knowledge of the rules which govern language.
Click here to watch a video on typical language acquisition patterns in children.
You will learn more about cognitive development in the Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring section.
Moral Development
How do people determine right from wrong? Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg came up with stages of moral development we can use as a starting point to help us understand how people learn to make morally sound decisions when faced with dilemmas.
Click here to watch a video that explains stages of moral development.
Physical Development
Physical development involves bodily changes that happen within a student’s brain, motor skills, and levels of coordination (among other biological changes). For the purposes of this segment of the course, we will focus on what educators need to know about brain development and how physical movement impacts learning.
Click on the image below to hear Dr. Judy Willis, a neuroscientist turned middle school teacher, discuss the brain and learning.
Click here to read an article titled Demystifying the Adolescent Brain
Click on the image below and follow the link to the Brain Rules website. Read about all 12 Brain Rules and watch the videos on Brain Rule 1 (Exercise), Rule 7 (Sleep), and Rule 8 (Stress). Watch others if you’d like. Warning: They are pretty goofy.
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OPTIONAL READING AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Varying Views on Development (click on the thumbnail halfway down the page to see a image of the stage theorists)
Various Readings on Cognitive Development in Childhood
Image of the Stages of Moral Reasoning